BackInDaDay

Boston Herald Tuesday - November 24, 2015 PATRIOT FANS SWEAR VENGEANCE!! New England fans demonstrate on Beacon Street the morning after NFL referees dared to over-turn a late game-winning Patriots score, resulting in a 27-23 victory for the visiting Buffalo Bills.

I'm encouraged by how the staff and players have gotten down to business lately. the talent and tools to win games has been there siince summer. hopefully their improved focus and sense of urgency is a response to letting themselves be pushed to the brink of a failed season. this game provides them all with a great opportunity.. a chance to show the rest of the league what they're capable of. this game will expose - for better, or worse - the heart of this team.

thousands of years ago there were few guys who figured they' d be better off staying home, drinking wine, and bitching how the Philistines always 'kick our ass'. young David had a heckuva day - one for the record books - and those poor saps missed it

our coaches and players had a solid game against the Jets. i hope they can execute as well against the Pats. i'm guessing we'll start in a 6 man front - 3-3 looking like a 4-2. the Edelman injury is a huge blow to their O because he's a wonderful complementary player to Gronk, Amendola, and LaFell. the Pats will have to substitute bench players whose best skills - speed, quickness, hands, toughness, etc - complement those core guys, on a situation by situation basis. Belickick can't be certain how these guys will react, and it's gotta be driving him nuts right now. so i think we'll see a bigger commitment to the run right away - to get us into 7 man fronts his core guys can attack

Patriots have offered to supply Bills staff with cutting edge technology from the labs at Kraft & Co..

Excellent posts, Bandit.. i'd like to add that we still have to plan on seeing those multiple slot formations. i doubt the Pats will abandon some favorite selections from their playlist, because their keyboard player jammed his hand in the limo door. we'll see them, if only to force us to commit coverage to account for them - regardless of the actual threat player X might do from them. starting tomorrow, i'd expect Belichick to practice 2-3 skill guys there, in order to get the best complement to existing personnel - on a per situation basis. who's in the huddle in future weeks could tip their intentions - unless they have a super-sub who can show he can handle the diversity of plays that Edelman can - but for our game, we'll have little to go on regarding what this new player brings. So, i'm thinking that our coaches shouldn't get too far ahead of themselves in their D gameplan. play it as if it was #11, and don't cheat coverages elsewhere until the Pats show they have no good answer for that second slot player.

Spags will probably attack their left side and A gaps and look for JPP to collapse their right.. but he'll sacrifice cover numbers to do this. the ball will come out quickly, so the Pats will push the safeties back with Gronk, to open the rubs and digs where he abandons defenders. I'm thinking the Pats will run right at their right side to keep JPP on his heels. when the Giants bring safety help upfield, Brady will get over the top. big game from edge defenders, or this one ends early. the best we can hope for is Belichick leaving the field wondering how to shore up the right side of his O line for the Bills.

the thing is, I think our failure in our first meeting with the Pats wasn't just our lack of pressure, but also our lack of discipline in coverage, i was happy to see our LBs and DBS ( I consider Hughes a DE in this D ) execute an efficient coverage plan last Thursday - but we match up much better against the Jets weapons than the Pats,,,, and make no mistake.. this is a problem shared by 31 teams. watching 4 D linemen impact the urgency in which the Pats executed versus varied, but disciplined, 7 man coverage schemes designed to fit particular field position/ down/ distance situations - leaves this Bills fan thinking that we have the means to defend them.

just went back to the Jets v NE game.. only got into the 2nd qtr, but the Pats haven't gotten moved the ball at all against their 4-2-5.. Jets have varied their coverages - but basically laid out a hi-lo blanket across the field with cover 3 and 4, and mixing in some man with cover 1 high safety who he occasionally walked down into the box. i'm thinking the Pats early throw-throw- throw gameplan was in response to what their perceived chances were in running the ball. obviously, Belichick didn't like how his O line matched up with the Jets' fronts - particularly, their front 4. so far, the Jets left DE and DT are crushing the Pat's right side, while their left side is collapsing too. Brady looks very uncomfortable, and his timing is off. i'm not sure if they have a first down yet. Fitz fumbled deep in in his own end on the Jets 1st possession, and Pats kicked FG on 4th. gotta go put my rakes away, but i'm curious how the Pats responded. i know they eventually win a tough game, so i'm thinking Bowles did a good job countering all afternoon. my first impression is that our personnel could defend them this way for the first 20 minutes, also.

Roman plays too many high risk hunches with Taylor, but he and Kromer are building an effective running game

one tweeted he ran 4 green lights to catch the kickoff

i want to check the replay, but other than the poor judgement on the Decker TD, i thought they played a very good, disciplined, and well rounded game. i think they'll work on their communication on pick plays, but i gotta add that at first glance i question their legality.. throwing a shoulder into a defender (the Marshall TD) isn't running a route, it's running interference.. and Decker looked like he was boxing out defenders on that 4th and goal that almost stole the lead. bottom line.. the D held 'em when they had to, never lost their composure, got some pressure, and i don't know if they were penalized even once. this was a decent tune up for NE.. definitely something to build on

thank you

since the 1st qtr I think

Just came on to ask if anyone knows if Mario is playing. Not being sarcastic.. haven't seen him since 1st quarter

Miami was strong right with both a TE and an H-back on their right hash. We were in a wide 9, 4 man front with Hughes, Dareus, Bryant, and Mario outside their H-back. Both Darby and Graham were on the strong side to defend pass routes from the TE and H-back. Bradham was playing shallow middle zone, while Robey was playing man on Landry. Brown made a good read on the screen, as Landry dragged Robey across the middle with his slant. Both the TE and H-back double-teamed Mario, so the unoccupied Darby and Graham appear as if they had no assignments. From their position on the field, and their knowledge we were in man on the twins left - this was a great call. the only Bill who could have been in a better position to defend the play was our FS, McKelvin, but he may hav been tasked with supporting Robey. correction - we were in Cover-1

although the Bills were rushing 4, it was a controlled rush from big splits. i didn't re-watch the entire 2nd half, but i didn't see one line stunt in the first. the pass would have been out before they exchanged lanes

right on.. Bills were in a dime package - 2-3-6 - IK Dareus Bradham Mario Hughes in front 5, and Hughes move was slick

one way or the other.. yes sir. that and staying under control on D.

i wanted to add something substative to the convo on our D.. so i ran our D against Miami over and over for the last hour, and haven't gotten to halftime.. and i'm giving myself a headache.. i can tell you this much.. they were a confused front 7 in that half, but weren't caught out of position too often.. we were primarily running a 4-3 under / nickel against their 01 groups, where our closed-side DEs became more of a 7 tech DE/SAM hybrid, than a traditional 5 tech DE when they went to 11 or 12 groups, we took a DB off the field and brought Lawson in as a true SAM in a 4-3 under.. our closed-side DE than played a 5 tech i think it was twice, that we split both our DTs into 3 techs and threatened A gap pressure, but didn't come.. we had a very tough time adjusting the front when Miami opened the 2nd quarter shifting their TE and H back from side to side. give the guys credit for talking it out before getting settled in for the snap, but with the linemen shifting from open to closed, while Lawson scampered to get to the strong side and Brown (always the Mike) traded places with Bradham.. there was a lot of moving pieces. occasionally, they didn't shift properly, leaving the vulnerable gaps that Tannehill didn't catch.. as a matter of fact, there was one snap where we were closed to their weak side, and Tannehill shifted his TE into our closed side. lots of technical stuff in there for the average fan, so i'll leave you with my overall impression of what i saw.. a defense that was reacting to the offense to get themselves schematically arranged properly.. rather than a defense that was dictating terms. this put them a bit on their heels at the snap, but they were in position - more often than not - to make plays. maybe if my headache recedes, i'll check out the 2nd half, and see if we opened things up a bit - as in 'letting the dogs out'. one last negative point.. IK was subbing for Hughes, and in the few times he was in, he may as well been on the sideline.. the kid was playing a tech they don't have a high enough number for, in a four pt stance, and by the time he ran into the OT and bounced off - the play was over.. enough. one more positive point.. Bryant did a good job filling in for Kyle, and more than once, helped direct traffic on those shifting fronts

i think the addition of an experienced DB like McKelvin at FS will continue to help us against the Jets. I want mad Fitzpicks tomorrow!

Chan will have at least one pass play drawn up where he goes strong right / twins left, sends the slot receiver on a dig to get the attention of our Safety, and sends his SE on a post route against our RCB Gilmore - when he's in man or Cover 1. Whether he's in press or off coverage, Gilmore will take an inside technique on the receiver and he'll either open up and run right away ( in press), or as soon as his 3 yard cushion is eaten up (when off). The receiver will then break underneath him, to the post, and Gilmore will execute a speed (or man) turn to catch up. Now.. this is all technically sound - and Gilmore is executing his coverage as he should - but it seems to be a play that's there to be made every week. At first i thought he was opening up too soon, but that's not it. He just has a difficult time getting back on the receiver's hip after coming out of his turn. As a 6' 190lb CB with a 4.4 40 time, this lack of top tier agility against top tier receivers may be the one leak in the boat that keeps him from finding Gilmore Island.

hopefully it motivates the kid to play better.. he's going to have to learn how to rush from the 9-tech, without bouncing off the OT.. get upfield or swim inside.. something. and when he's got coverage responsibilities in the flat, he's gotta make tackles. not too impressed with him as a defender.

this is silly.. but it could be worse..